Interview
by UltimateDoubleThinker
Summary: It started with an interview gone wrong. Maybe there is a future for them. Chlex.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: For Chloe Gilmore, who introduced me to Chlex and led many discussions at lunch about how perfect they are together. This couldn't have been written without her constant help. All mistakes are mine and I apologize ahead of time. I'm not very familiar with Smallville beyond the first few seasons, so please forgive inconsistencies and thank God for Smallville wiki.**

The room was quiet except for the sound of paper being shuffled. The fireplace held a low but warm fire. Chloe sat in an armchair across from where Lex sat. In the coffee table between them sat a tray of refreshments that a maid had brought in.

Lex Luthor may have seemed relaxed to anyone else, but Chloe new better. He sat regally on the comfortable looking couch, dressed relatively casual. He wore a pale green long sleeve button down suit shirt and dress pants. His black shoes looked new, custom made, and expensive. He didn't have on a tie and the first two buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned. The sleeves were folded and showed off a shiny watch.

Though Chloe wore dress pants and a light blue blouse and looked more formal than usual, she suddenly felt severely underdressed. She could see the alert, calculative eyes studying her. She shuffled more papers around on the table as she tried to think of where to start.

"Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed, Mr. Luthor"

"Call me Lex."

"Alright. As we agreed, I will be recording this interview so that I don't miss anything and can go over my notes later."

She put the rectangular black box on the coffee table, directly in the middle of them. Lex watched silently as she fiddled with the cassette and finally pressed the red button. She shifted in her seat, her notepad on her lap and pen poised. For a moment, as silence decended once again into the room, the soft wirr of the cassette could be heard.

"M--Lex, my first question is why did you agree to this interview? You are known to keep away from the media." _Unless they're on your side._

"Well to be honest, I would rather keep my life private, but since that is near impossible, I wanted whatever is printed to actually come from me. I know people distrust LutherCorp, but we are just an honest company that contributes a lot to this community. There is nothing to distrust. I hope that by reading this interview, people will have their doubts settled."

Chloe kept the incredulity off her face._ As honest as a greedy, immoral corporation could be._

"I also wanted to unveil LuthorCorp's latest project: LutherCorp Green Initiative."

Chloe leaned forward slightly in her seat. An exclusive first interview about a new project? Her natural curiosity was peeked. But, she held herself back. She new better than to think anything LuthorCorp did would be positive."

"We're opening several new facilities dedicated to researching alternate sources of fuel," Lex continued.

"Has there been much progress?"

"Well we've been doing the already proven methods: wind, solar, corn, various other vegetable oils, hydrogen cells, even experimenting with common elements. But, the most successful source has so far been liquefied meteor remains." (1)

And there it was.

"You know how dangerous meteor is to people and animals."

"I assure you Ms. Sullivan, that we have taken those effects into account. Our research indicates that negative effects are rare and most mutations are positive if not benefitial to all involved."

"There is a very limited amount of meteor that has fallen to the earth. What are you going to do when they run out?"

"We have been working close with NASA to send a space rock retrieval mission. The liquidified is very proficient as a source of energy, so we won't have any trouble getting the mission and researched funded. Our scientist speculate that it is the trip through the atmosphere that gives it fuel potential. If that is the case we would have more work to do. If not, we may have solved our energy crisis, or at least lessened it."

"So you're saying that you'd be willing to hurl meteors to the earth just to research energy sources?"

"Of course not, I think you misunderstand Ms. Sullivan. Though it is a huge breakthrough, it will more than likely go nowhere. I think your feelings on this subject are addling your normally acute common sense."

"No, I think its just that I know better than you think Lex."

"Oh, is that so," Lex said with an amused lilt to his voice. "And what is it that you think you know about me, Ms. Sullivan?"

Chloe gripped her notepad. She could feel her anger growing. "I know that you are power hungry, greedy, and immoral. You don't care who you hurt as long as you benefit. You perform inhumane experiments on helpless peaople. And you trapped a young woman who had a lot going for her into an unwanted marraige, knowing that your best frined was in love with her!"

Lex's face tightened. His eyes were cold, blue marbles. "Ms. Sullivan, I think you've forgotten who you're speaking to. I think you should take a minute to reflect on what your saying before you accuse people of things you know nothing about."

"I know more than you give me credit for," Chloe grits out.

"Oh, then enlighten me."

"You forget Lana and Clark tell me everything."

"Ah yes. Let's talk about the secretive farm boy. The one your putting your life and career on hold for."

"You don't know what you're talking about Lex."

"Come _Chloe, _don't be coy, it doesn't suit you. Tell me are you still in love with Clark or does Jimmy hold the keys to your heart?" His eyes held a mocking gleam as he smirked.

"You know nothing about my life Lex," she spat out. Then she turned on her heel and stormed out.

(1) My excuse is artistic license ;)

**A/N: To be continued, two more chapters at the most. Questions, comments, criticisms are welcome. Don't forget to review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Enjoy! Kinda short because what I had in mind was hard to transfer into word.  
**

Chloe walked slowly, trying to balance her cup of coffee and her laptop while being weighed down by her bag. She saw the person in the chair she was trying to navigate around around scoot back. She stopped abruptly, stumbling as her foot caught in one of the chair's legs and went sprawling; her laptop clutched to herself, her bag under her, and her coffee flying a few feet away.

"Ow," she muttered into her bag.

She slowly lifted her head to see an extended hand. She followed the arm to see its owner. Lex Luther was smiling down at her. She let her head fall back to her bag, mortified. She waited for the ground to swallow her and when it didn't happen, sighed and took the hand.

Chloe put her laptop and bag down carefully on the table she had been heading towards. As luck would have it, it was the table next to the one Lex just stood up from. She picked up her spilled coffrr. Her perfectly brewed, expensive cup of coffee, wasted.

When she returned to the table after throwing the cup away, Lex was standing there.

"I'm so sorry; I didn't see you. Can I buy you a cup of coffee to replace the one I made you drop?"

"No, thanks."

"I want to make it up to you. I insist."

"Sure, if you put it that way." Well, it was expensive.

When Lex returned with her cup, Chloe had set up her workspace. she was tapping away at her laptop, occasionally glancing at her notebook. she thanked him for the coffee and he returned to his table.

Chloe watched him out of the corner of her eyes as she sipped her drink. He was staring into space, his hands wrapped around what appeared to be his third cup of coffee. She felt a twinge of sympathy. She tried to suppress it. Then she saw Lex's hand tremble as he raised the cup to his mouth.

In her shock she turned to look at him. She saw the trembling again before he made his hands into fists and met her eyes. She fixed on a smile before leaning over and asking him to join her. He turned down her offer.

"I'm about to leave."

"Come on. Just for a few minuted."

He sat across from her, his face blank but a hint of laughter in his eyes. "How are you doing?"

"Good." She saw his lips curl at the corner. "Are you laughing at me?"

He chuckled. "That was quite the tumble."

"Well, I'm glad I amused you."

He tried to disguise his laughter by coughing into his hands. Chloe flushed and looked down at the table.

"I apologize for laughing. It's just I haven't had much to laugh about for a few weeks." He said when he saw her face. His face cleared of amusement.

Chloe thought over his words for a moment before realizing he meant since Lana left him. She studied his face and realized how worn he looked. He looked like he hadn't slept in a while.

"You really loved her," she said without thinking.

"Not that my relationship with Lana is any of your business but yes. I loved her and for the briefest moment, I thought she loved me back." His blue eyes were shuttered.

"Lex, for what it's worth, I'm sorry and I know how you feel." He just looked back at her silently until she broke eye contact to glance at her notebook.

For a moment neither of them said anything.

A cleared throat and then, "What are you working on?"

**A/N: Questions, comments, criticisms are welcome. Don't forget to review.**


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